The present invention relates generally to communication quality levels in a radio communication system, such as a cellular communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating controlled degradation of a QoS (quality of service) level parameters during a communication session in the radio communication system if a desired QoS level parameter is unable to be maintained.
A storage register stores a service degradation profile. The service degradation profile includes an indication of one or more degraded QoS level parameters to be maintained in the event that a desired QoS level parameter is unable to be attained or maintained during a communication session. If the desired QoS level parameter of ongoing communication session is unable to be maintained, an attempt is made to effectuate or continue communication at a reduced-quality degraded QoS level parameter corresponding to a degraded QoS level parameter stored as part of the service degradation profile.
When implemented in a cellular communication system, the service degradation profile is associated with a communication service-type. If, during initiation of communications or during ongoing communications, such as when a hand off between base stations is attempted, communications at the desired QoS level parameter cannot be achieved, a degraded QoS level parameter stored as part of the service degradation profile is accessed. Communications with the mobile station at the degraded QoS level parameter is attempted. Service renegotiation with the mobile station is not required as the service degradation profile associated with the communication service is automatically accessed and communications are effectuated, if possible, at the degraded QoS level parameter. Thereby, system overhead, such as control signaling between the network and the mobile station, is reduced. When communication conditions require that the QoS level parameter of communications with the mobile station be reduced, the service degradation is implemented in a controlled and non-abrupt manner.
A communication system permits the communication of information between a sending station and a receiving station and is formed, at a minimum, of a transmitter, located at the sending station, and a receiver, located at the receiving station, interconnected by a communication channel. Communication signals are formed of the information to be transmitted by the sending station. Communication signals are formed to be of characteristics to permit their transmission upon the communication channel. The receiving station is tuned to receive the communication signals transmitted upon the communication channel. Information contained in the communication signal transmitted upon the communication channel is recovered, once received at the receiving station.
A radio communication system is a communication system in which the communication channel upon which the communication signal is transmitted is formed of a radio channel defined upon a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because a wire line connection is not required to form the communication channel between a sending and a receiving station, communications are possible when such a wire line connection between the sending and receiving station would be impractical.
A cellular communication system is exemplary of a radio communication system. Cellular communication systems, constructed according to various standards, have been installed throughout significant portions of the world. A subscriber to a cellular communication system is able to communicate therein by way of a mobile station when the mobile station is positioned within an area encompassed by the communication system. Telephonic communication of both voice information and data information is permitted in such networks.
Access to communication by way of the cellular communication system is permitted pursuant to a service subscription to which a subscriber subscribes. A unique identification number is associated with the service subscription. The identification number is used in authentication procedures to provide a mobile station, operable pursuant to the service subscription, access to the cellular network. The identification number is also used for billing purposes.
QoS (quality of service) level parameters can be defined to provide a standard by which to measure or ensure minimum communication quality levels. A QoS level parameter can be used in service initiation and service modification. A QoS level parameter defines a communication quality level in terms of, e.g., a data transmission rate, a bit error rate, or a signal delay amount upon a forward link and upon a reverse link. To ensure that appropriate communication quality levels are achieved during service initiation, the QoS level parameter must be met to ensure an appropriate level of communication quality, defined by the values of the parameters associated with the QoS level. However, the QoS level parameters might not be able to be achieved during a particular communication session. Such parameters may not be able to be achieved during service initiation during which the communication session is attempted to be initiated, or during the communication session, such as when a hand off is requested or otherwise attempted. The desired QoS level parameters may not be able to be attained or maintained due to lack of resources available for the communications during the communication session. If the desired QoS level parameters cannot be attained or maintained, there might be a service renegotiation between the network infrastructure and the mobile station which requires significant levels of control signaling between the mobile station and the network infrastructure and also within the network. Such control signaling is referred to as overhead as the signaling requires system resources without directly providing user communications. The existing requirement to provide service renegotiation when a desired QoS level parameter cannot be attained or maintained is therefore a disadvantageous use of the system resources. Alternately, if there is not a service renegotiation, there is a possibility that a noticeable and abrupt service degradation during a communication session might occur.
A manner by which to provide for a managed and non-abrupt service degradation of QoS level parameters during a communication session without requiring significant service renegotiation would therefore be advantageous.
It is in light of this background information related to quality of service level parameters of communications in a radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.
The present invention, accordingly, advantageously provides apparatus, and an associated method, for facilitating controlled degradation of QoS level parameters of communications in a radio communication system, if communications at desired QoS level parameters are unable to be effectuated or maintained.
In one aspect of the present invention, a service degradation profile is stored in a storage register. The service degradation profile is associated with a communication service-type. That is to say, in one implementation, for each different communication service performable pursuant to operation of the communication system, a separate service degradation profile is defined. The service degradation profile includes one or more degraded QoS level parameters at which to attempt to effectuate or maintain communications of the communication service-type in the event that desired QoS level parameters cannot be achieved. If the desired QoS level parameters cannot be achieved, an attempt is made to perform the communication service at QoS level parameters corresponding to the degraded QoS level parameters stored as part of the service degradation profile. Thereby, in the event that the communication cannot be effectuated or maintained at a desired QoS level parameter, the communication shall be effectuated or continue at the degraded QoS level parameter without the need for control signaling with the mobile station and within the infrastructure to renegotiate service quality levels. Also, because the service degradation occurs pursuant to the prescribed service degradation profile, abrupt service degradation does not occur. Rather, the service degradation occurs pursuant to the parameters of the service degradation profile. And, because a common service degradation profile is defined for each type of communication service, the number of profiles required to be created, maintained, and accessed is limited to the number of communication service-types of which a communication session can be formed.
In one implementation, the service degradation profile is implemented in a cellular communication system, such as a cellular communication system conforming to the standards set forth in the IS-95 3G specification promulgated by the EIA/TIA. The service degradation profile is stored together with other subscriber profiles, such as at the HLR (home location register) associated with the mobile station. If communication cannot be effectuated or maintained at desired QoS level parameters, the service degradation profile is accessed, and communications are effectuated or maintained, if possible, at the degraded QoS level parameters stored as part of the service degradation profile. Service renegotiation with the mobile station is not required as the service degradation profile is automatically accessed. And, because the service degradation is implemented pursuant to a prescribed service degradation profile, abrupt service degradation of communications with the mobile station are less likely to occur.
In these and other aspects, therefore, apparatus, and an associated method, is provided for reducing a desired QoS (quality of service) level parameter of communications between a mobile station and a fixed network of a radio communication system. The fixed network includes a plurality of spaced-apart, fixed-site transceivers positioned throughout a geographic area. Each fixed-site transceiver defines a coverage area in which communications with a mobile station are permitted pursuant to a service subscription. The desired QoS level parameter is reduced to a selected degraded QoS level parameter when communications pursuant to at least a first communication service at the desired QoS level is unavailable. A service subscription register is associated with the at least the first communication service. The service subscription register stores an indication of at least a first selected degraded QoS level parameter at which the communication pursuant to the at least the first communication service are to be maintained if the continued communications at the desired QoS level parameter are unavailable. A resource availability determiner is coupled to receive information representative of at least the first selected degraded QoS level parameter when the communications at the desired QoS level parameter are unavailable. The resource availability determiner and service level selector selectively determines the availability of resources of the radio communication system and selects service levels to assure that the communications are available at least at the first degraded QoS level parameter.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and the scope thereof can be obtained from the accompanying drawings which are briefly summarized below, the following detailed description of the presently-preferred embodiments of the invention, and the appended claims.